Magazine pencil



March 7, 1939. H, MAUCHER 2,149,705

MAGAZINE PENCL Filed Jan. 1B, 1938 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates to magazine pencils, and more particularly to multi-lead magazine pencils in whichy a plurality of lead carrying and lead propelling members are arranged to be selectively disposed, one at a time,

for writing purposes.

In pencils of the type to which the present invention relates it is important to lock the various parts together in firm and secure assembly, so as to prevent the user from readily dismantling the pencil in the normal and natural urge to take things apart, usually resulting in inability to reassemble and in damaging the parts so as to make the pencil inoperative and out of order even if reassembled. At the Sametime it is necessary to make such pencils readily dismantable without any damage, for repair purposes. In the multi-lead pencils heretofore used,

the simultaneous attainment of both objects has been dimcult and costly. In such pencils, as previously made, the locking of the parts has been accomplished either by soldering them together` or by means of complicated and costly arrangement of parts which included bayonet joints and locking collars, which were `costly to make, difcult to putv together and practically impossible to take apart for repair and reassembled without some damage. y

The present invention contemplates the improvement of magazine pencils of the character described by providing a new and novel construction whereby the various parts making up the pencil may be economically made and may be easily and economically assembled into a rigid and secure unit, and which may, nevertheless,

be readily taken apart and reassembled, for purposes of repair, by anyone conversant therewith, without any danger of damaging or spoiling any of its parts.

Multi-lead magazine. pencils heretofore found in the art have been of comparatively large circumference and bulk due to the necessary provision of the plurality of lead carrying and propelling elements and their associated mecha- '45 nisms and means for their selective disposition in operative writing position. This relatively greater bulk has been a deterrent factor to the greater and more extensive use of such pencils.

The present invention, therefore, further con- 50 with a new and improved type of lead carrying members wherebysuch pencils may be made of a lesser bulk than heretofore possible, thereby overcoming this objection vto their moregeneral 55 and more prevalent use.

templates the provision of multi-lead pencils One practical embodiment of a compact, irmly and securely assembled and readily repairable multi-lead magazine pencil of the present invention, possessing many additional advantages which will be readily apparent to those skilled 5 in the art, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of a barrel of a pencil of the present invention, partly broken away to show details of the novel assembling means provided thereon;

Fig. 2 is a similar, partly broken away, view of a combined barrel closure and spare lead magazine, showing details of the assembling means provided thereon; 5

Fig. 3 is a similar view, partly broken away, of a clip bearing outer sleeve cap showing details of the assembling means provided thereon;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the magazine taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional viewiof the barrel taken'along line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a side. elevational view of the assembled pencil of the present invention, partly in vertical section to show details ofthe lead carrier arrangement and the lead carrier disposing mechanism;

y Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the bead lock for the barrel and magazine of the pencil assembly; and

Fig. 8 isy a cross sectional viewtaken through the barrel and lead carrier elements of a pencil of-the present invention, looking down into the barrel. I Y

The drawing shows, in detail, a pencil Ill, comprising a. barrel I2, preferably tubular, and of any desirable suitable material, thickness and length. 'I'he barrel may be provided, preferably integrally, with the usual conical writing tip Il. having a lead passage I6.

0n the sides of the barrel, preferably at a point substantially above the tip Il are pro-k vided a number of oblong openings I8, preferablyv regularly spaced and equal in number to `the leads intended to be provided, shown in the illustrated embodiment as four. A'longitudlnal slot 20 extends upwardly from one side of each of said oblong openings I8, thereby forming a shoulder 22. Each such slot is Widenedat a point below the top of the barrel into a second oblong space 24, from the'upper end of which,- -and preferably to one side thereof, a slit 26 continues to the top of the barrel forming a shoulder 25, and thereby splitting the upper portion of the barrel into several vertical segments, 55

which may be readily and resiliently spread apart to a limited extent, enabling the continuous slots to serve a double purpose, as will hereinafter be made clear.

In the barrel I2 are positioned the desired number of lead carriers, generally designated at 28. Each carrier comprises an arml 30 at the lower end ofvwhich is provided a lead holding tube 32 containing a, lead 34, the tube 32 being provided adjacent its free end with lead advancing means 36 of any Ioi the well known types which it is not thought necessary to show in detail.

While heretofore the arm 30 was made of either cylindrical or rectangular tubing uniform throughout its length, I provide, for purposes of compactness an arm 30 which has its upper portion 38 of triangular shape so that a plural-- ity of the arms may be nested together with their apices converging, in a relatively small space, thereby enabling the use of a barrel of smaller cross section than heretofore possible.

Each of the carriers 28 is supported at its upper end on the shorter leg 40 of an inverted V-shaped preferably fiat spring 42, lwhich arm is secured on an inner wall of the triangular portion 38 of the carrier arm 30. The longer leg 44 of the spring extends downwardly alongside of the triangular carrier arm portion 38, terminating in anv inwardly turned lug 46. Carried on the spring leg 44, preferably by means of a thin vertically elongated neck 50, which is suiliciently thin to be readily reciprocated in the slot 28, is a knob 48, which is disposed exteriorly of the barrel I2, whereby the respective lead carrier may be manipulated from the exterior of the barrel.

To keep the carriers 28 in normally inactive position, that is, out of the opening I6, there is provided within the barrel I2 a coiled expansion spring 52, one end of which is supported on the converging walls of the conical tip I4, or on any suitable means that may be provided within the barrel to anchor the same, and the other end of which may be enclosed within the sleeve 54, tting snugly within the barrel, and having an inturned flange 56 which impinges on-the upper edge of the spring and which also serves to support the lugs 46 to keep the lead carriers in a normally upwardly disposed position.

It will be apparent that the lead carriers may be readily arranged in their place by inserting their lower portion into the barrel and passing the neck 50 through one of the slots and letting the carrier go down until the lug 46 rests on the flange 56 of the collar 54, the lower portion of the carrier including the lead holder and lead advancing means being disposed within the coiled spring 52. It will also be apparent that the springs 44, which present a at side of their respective carriers to the barrel wall, will tend to nest the upper ends of the carriers with their apices converging to occupy a relatively small space, and that at the lower ends of the carriers where the springs do not reach to occupy part of the barrel, there will be suilicient space for the round portion of the carrier arms.

It may here be stated that the relative proportions and arrangement of the barrel, the lead carriers and the slot 20 and its various enlargements may be so regulated and so disposed that normally the spring 52 and collar 54 supporting the lug 46 will dispose the end of the lead carrier andthe lead at a point above the tip I4, and the neck 50 will be disposed in the slot enlargement 24 pressed upwardly against the shoulder 25. The proportions and disposition of such carriers and slots may also be' such that when the head is pressed downwardly until the neck is caught by the shoulder 22 of the slot enlargement I8, the end of the lead holding member 32 with at least part of the lead advancing mechanism 36 suflcient to be gripped by the ngers for manipulation, will project inv operating position from the tip opening I6. Thespring 52, which is thereby compressed, will tend to press the neck 50 firmly upwardly against the shoulder 22, which pressure, together with the support provided by the edges of the opening I6 will keep the carrier and the lead 4in relatively iirm operating position.

The non-operating carriers will remain in their normal upwardly disposed position, even though the support of the spring 52 is withdrawn, by the pressure of the spring leg 44, against the barrel wall and by engagement of the lower edge of the neck 58 by the lower edges of the respective slot enlargements 24.

To release any carrier from writing position. all that is necessary'is to turn the knob 48 to disengage the neck 50 from the shoulder 22 and direct it into the slot 20. The spring 52 will expand to push the carrierl and lead out of operating position to normal.

To close the barrel against removal of the carriers therefrom, I provide a combined closure and 'spare lead magazine 58 having the bottom 60 and a thread 62 at its upper end. The magazine is adapted to be tted into the upper end of the barrel in which it is held against removal by an inwardly pressed annular bead 64 formed near the upper edge of the barrel, at a point substantially above the enlarged recess 24, which meshes into a cooperating groove 66 providedy on the magazine at a point sufficiently close to the bottom thereof so that it may clearthe recess enlargement 24 when itis in operative position.

CII

The magazine is locked against removal from zine in the barrel by keeping the barrel head within the magazine groove; and the magazine Y locks, by its thread, the sleeve upon the barrel,

against removal. Y

The sleeve may be provided with the usual pocket clip 12, and an eraser 'I4 may be engaged within the thread 62 to close the magazine to keep spare leads therein. I

This completes the description of the multilead magazine pencil of the present invention. It will be seen that such pencil is of greater compactness than heretofore possible because of the triangular upper ends'of the lead carrier arm and that such pencil may be more economically produced both because of the simplicity and low cost of the assembly mechanism and of the assembly operation. The latter economies are entirely made possible by splitting the barrel into severa-l parts along an extension of the lead carrier guiding slots 20. First, it makes possible the rapid and ready insertion of the carriers in position, eliminating the slow and tedious process heretofore used which required manipulation of way weakens the barrel and that in general the effectiveness ofthe pencil of the present invention in practical use is, if anything, increased, by virtue of its compactness and lesser bulk.

This completes the description of a preferred embodiment ofv the multi-lead pencils of the present invention. As, obviously, many variations may be made .in the embodiment disclosed,

within the spirit and scope of the present invention, I do desire to be protected for any such variations in accordance with the broadest interpretation of my invention and of the claims hereto appended.

I claim: u y 1. In a magazine pencil having a barrel and lead carrying mechanism disposed withinv the Y barrel, a barrel closure comprising a lead 'magazine disposed within an open end of the -barrel and means for locking the magazine within the barrel comprising an inwardly pressed annular bead formed on the barrel, said barrel having a lplurality of longitudinal slits extending from the open end thereof past the said bead and resiliently segmenting said open end, a groove upon the magazine adapted to engage and nest the said bead, a sleeve cap tting over the barrel and magazine and cooperating means upon the sleeve and magazine for engagement of the oneby the other to lock the sleeve cap upon the barrel.

2. In a magazine pencil having a barrel and lead carrying mechanism in the barrel andan open end where-through the mechanism is inserted into the barrel, closure means for the open end comprising a laterally resilient open end on the barrel having an inwardly formed annular bead thereon, a colsure member having an annular groove adapted to engage and nest the said bead tted into the said open end of the barrel and partly projecting therefrom, and a sleeve cap engaging the projecting end of the closure and tting over the open end of the barrel to press the same against the closure.

3 Ina magazine pencil having a barrel'and lead carrying mechanism in the barrel and an open end where-through the mechanism is inserted into the barrel, closure means for the open end comprising a laterally resilient open end on the barrel having an inwardly formed annular bead thereon, a closure comprising a spare lead magazine having an annular groove adapted to engage and nest the said bead tted into the said open end of the barrel and partly projecting therefrom, and a sleeve cap engaging the projecting end of the closure and fitting over the open end of the barrel to press the same against the closure., v

4. In a magazine pencil having a barrel and lead carrying mechanism disposed within the 'barrel, barrel closing means comprising a lead 'l5 magazine partly disposed with an open end of open \`m'echanism is inserted into the barrel, closure the barrel and means for locking said magazine within the barrel comprising an' inwardly pressed annular-bead formed on the barrel adjacent said open end, a plurality of longitudinal slits extending from the edge of the said open end past the said bead, whereby the said end is made laterally resilient, a cooperatingfgroove on the magazine engaging the said bead, a thread upon the projecting end of the magazine and an open ended sleeve cap having oneA end tting over the barrel to press the same against the magazine and the other end swaged and screwed upon the magazine thread. v

5. In a magazine pencil having' a barrel lead carrying mechanism within the barrel and an end. wherethrough the lead carrying means for the barrel comprising a longitudinally slotted upper end, whereby the said end is resiliently segmented, an inwardly formed projection on the segment end of the barrel, a closure member having a depression adapted to receive the said projection partly tted into the said segmented barrel end, a sleeve cap fitting over the -v segmented end of the barrel to press the same against the closure, and engaged upon the projecting end of the closure against removalfrom the barrel.

6. In a magazine pencil having a barrel, lea carrying means withinvthe barrel and an open end wherethrough the lead carryingmeans are vinserted into the barrel, closure'means for the barrel comprising a closure member partly tted into the open end of the barrel, cooperating envgaging means upon the barrel and closure adapted to prevent the withdrawal of the closure from the barrel and means engaged upon the projecting endl of the vclosure and tting over the open end 'of the barrel to lock the said cooperating engaging means on one another.

7, In a. multi-lead magazine pencil having lead carriers and means for manipulating said lead carriers in and out of operative position, a housing for the carriers comprising a barrel having a conical writing end and longitudinal slots extending from a point above the writing end to the other end of the barrel, whereby the barrel is resiliently segmented and wherethrough lthe lead carrier manipulating means may be re.

ciprocated andprojected to the exterior of the barrel for manual engagement, a shoulder formed at the lower end of each slot adapted to engage the lead carrier manipulating means to dispose and retain the lead carrier in operative position, an inward projection formed on the barrel` adjacent its upper end, a magazine closure having a cooperating depression adapted to receive the said projection partly tted into the said open end of the barrel, a thread formed on the projecting end of the magazine and an open ended sleeve cap fitting over the open end of the barrel to press its segmented parts against the magazine, the upper end of the sleeve cap being swaged and screwed upon the projecting end of the magazine.

8. A multi-lead magazine pencil compriisng a barrel having a tapered writing end and a plucarrier toward the center of the barrel, carrier n manipulating means iixed on each spring pro- Y jecting through a slot to the exterior of the barrel whereby the carrier may be reciprocated within the slot in and out of Voperative position, spring means withinthe barrel to normally oppose movement of theV carriers into operative position,a shoulder formed on the lower end of each slot adapted to engage the lead carrier manipulating means to dispose it in operative position against the pressure of the said spring means and vclosure means for the barrel to pre' vent removal of the lead carriers therefrom com` prising a `closure member having an annular groove tting into the end of the barrel and extending thereabove, an annular bead formed internally on the resiliently segmented portion of the barrel .adjacent the upper end thereof and adapted to t within and engage the said groove, and a sleeve cap tted over the segmented end of the barrel to press the said bead into the said groove and engaged upon the projecting end of the closure against removal from the barrel.

9. A multi-lead magazine pencil comprising a. barrel having a tapered writing end'and a'plurality of slots extending longitudinally from a 1 point above the -tapered .end to the other end of the barrel whereby the barrel is resiliently v segmented, a plurality of lead carriers disposed Within the barrel, each. lead carrier having an upper portion of triangular cross section and carrying a depending spring adapted to impingev against the barrel wall to press an apex of the carrier toward the center of the barrel, carrier manipulating means fixed on each spring projecting through a slot to the exterior ofthe barrel whereby the carrier may be reciprocated Within the slot in and out of operative position, spring means within vthe barrel to normally oppose movement of` the carriers into operative position, a shoulder, formed on the lower end of eachv slot adapted to engage the lead carrier manipulating means to dispose it in operative position against the pressure of the said spring means and closure means for the barrel to prevent removal of the lead carriers therefrom comprising a spare lead magazine member having an annular groove fitting into the end of the barrel and extending thereabove.. an annular v bead formed internally on the resiliently segmented portion of the barrel adjacent the upper end thereof and adapted to t within and engage the said groove, and a sleeve cap fitted over thev segmented end of the barrel topress the said bead into the' said groove and engaged uponthe projecting endof the spare lead magazine against removal from the barrel.

10. -A multi-lead magazine pencil comprising a barrel having a tapered writing end and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally froma point above the tapered end to the other end of the barrel whereby the barrel is resiliently' segmented, a plurality of lead carriers disposed within the barrel, each lead carrier having an upper portion of triangular cross section and carrying va depending spring adapted to impinge against the barrel wall to press an apex of the carrier toward the center of the barrel, carrier manipulating means fixed on each spring projecting through a slot to the exterior of the barrel whereby the carrier may be reciprocated Within the slot in and outY of operative position, spring means within the barrel to normally oppose movement of the carriers into operative position, a shoulder formed on the lowerend of each slot adapted to engage the lead carrier manipulating means to dispose it .in operative position against the pressure of the said spring means and closure means for the barrel to prevent removal of the lead carriers therefrom comprising. a spare lead magazine having an annular groove adjacentits bottom fitting into the end of the barrel, extendingv thereabove and terminating in a threaded end, an annular head formed on the resiliently segmented portion of the barrel adjacent the upper end thereof and adapted to it within andiengage the said groove and a sleeve cap fitting over the segmented end of the barrel to force and retain the said bead magazine to prevent removal from the barrel.

HANS MAUCHER. 

